A Possible Solution To The School Run Congestion

[METALMICKY]

As it moaning day on NSC here's my two penneth on this thorny issue.

Every morning where i live the roads are clogged with the mums talking their little poppets to school. What fecks me off in the vicinity of the school is the damn right reckless driving and irresponsible parking and quite often commited in some bloody huge 4x4 that's never going to be used off road.

Why doesn't the Government set about serioulsy setting up a school bus scheme? I have no idea how it specifically works in the the U.S. but you always see the kids of all ages transported about in the special yellow buses. This could satisfy the motorist and the safety conscious mother.

 

[Simster]

I notice that one of the London Mayoral candidates is going to provide free buses to all London schoolkids in a bid to get round this issue.

 

[METALMICKY]

I notice that one of the London Mayoral candidates is going to provide free buses to all London schoolkids in a bid to get round this issue.

Sounds like a step in the right direction. If i stop for newspaper in the morning it adds 10 mins to my journey time what with the crap parking, little Johnny swinging open the car door just missing me and then runing out from behind a car.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Get the lazy kids to walk to school then there would be no traffic and kids wouldnt be so fat.

 

[whitelion]

From MetalMicky:

Why doesn't the Government set about serioulsy setting up a school bus scheme? I have no idea how it specifically works in the the U.S. but you always see the kids of all ages transported about in the special yellow buses. This could satisfy the motorist and the safety conscious mother.


I think you'll find that the yellow buses in the US pick up kids in rural communities, not from a catchment area of a square mile or so in this country.

 

[chips and gravy]

Get the lazy kids to walk to school then there would be no traffic and kids wouldnt be so fat.

I agree in theory but Government policy on parental choice means that sometimes the schools are miles away and not the nearest. No wonder there are so many more cars on the road!

 

[zefarelly]

Get the lazy kids to walk to school then there would be no traffic and kids wouldnt be so fat.

spot on . . .make the lazy bastards walk, it'd do everyone and everything a massive favour, if its too far your at the wrong school . . .theres plenty of the things around

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Exactly, if its too far to walk then it probably means you are not going to your local school because its shit. If people had to go there then it would not only address the fat kid problem, but make schools less elitist.
Walking to school never did me any harm, nor I expect anyone else on here. Walking home with your mates after school in the summer term was quite cool as well.

 

[REDLAND]

Get the lazy kids to walk to school then there would be no traffic and kids wouldnt be so fat.

Damn Straight,

its just a shame theres so many wierdos around who prey on this situation

 

[METALMICKY]

Damn Straight,

its just a shame theres so many wierdos around who prey on this situation

That's exactly why the mums argue that fat little Johnny needs to be driven. The concern has some validity although i notice that some schools now have 'Walking buses' where an adult (usually a volunteer parent) escorts a group of walking kids.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I dont see how there is any more of a threat now then there was when I walked to school or when most of you did. Just that police are better at catching people now and cases are more high profile.
Get the kids to walk to school in groups and teach them not to talk to strangers. Its not a quiz.

 

[chips and gravy]

Stranger Danger is no more of a problem now than when I went to school in the 70's and 80's. The difference now is that of perception. The result? Kids are wrapped up in cotton wool and don't get the opportunity to have independence. When I was growing up we soon became aware of the situations and places to avoid

 

[Dover]

I would also crush the cars that park on the zig zags with School Keep Clear in them. This would assist in keeping the children safer as they would have a proper crossing place, where they could see any oncomming traffic. And I suspect fter a week the parents would walk their children to school. Hence freeing up the roads.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I was thinking it would be sensible to tax according to the size of the wheels.

Not only would you get 4x4 Mum's you'd get twats with 19" Rims on their escorts.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Yes but if kids went on buses mums wouldnt be able to stand there chatting to each other with their sunglasses on their head.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Believe it or not, there are loads of mothers out there who will justify driving their kids to school on the grounds that it is too dangerous to have them travel by bus because of all the traffic in the vicinity of the school and that it's not safe for kids to walk between the bus stop and the school gates.

Eh?

 

[timco]

Damn Straight,

its just a shame theres so many wierdos around who prey on this situation

I walked my son to and from school every day until he said one day dad I'm too old for this. He was about 10 or so. the school is 1/2 a mile away it did him good it did me good etc.

If the parents did their job there would be no loop hole too exploit would there.

Birmingham is piloting the Yellow bus schemes at the moment (parts of it, there is one parked just up the road from me) American type yellow buses, I do hope that fails.

The walking bus is one Idea I like, the kids walk together in yellow jackets with adults front side and back.

 

[Mr C]

I notice that one of the London Mayoral candidates is going to provide free buses to all London schoolkids in a bid to get round this issue.

That'll be Steven Norris.

 

[kevinsmith]

From MetalMicky:

Why doesn't the Government set about serioulsy setting up a school bus scheme? I have no idea how it specifically works in the the U.S. but you always see the kids of all ages transported about in the special yellow buses. This could satisfy the motorist and the safety conscious mother.


I think you'll find that the yellow buses in the US pick up kids in rural communities, not from a catchment area of a square mile or so in this country.

The kids in the states have a lot further to travel to school. However if looked into correctly it could work overhear. Then we would all be moaning abouty"that bloody school bus"

 

[Gully]

The yellow bus idea is an excellent one, I lived in Canada for a couple of years and they had it there, mind you the climate made it dangerous for kids to walk to school for large chunks of the winter. In answer to the woman who complained about the danger of kids getting run over, the yellow buses have hoofing great flashing orange lights and a stop sign that means you are prohibited from passing when they are dropping off passengers, god help anyone caught ignoring the warning. Anyone blind enough to miss a large yellow bus with its array of flashing lights should probably avoid driving.

Just a couple of other ideas that might help things, have double yellow lines on the roads in front of the school but have a 20 mph speed limit during opening and closing times and enforce it rigidly. Why should I care as I don't have any kids, but I have neices and nephews who do walk to school and any measures that can make their lives safer should be welcomed by the rest of us.